Carrier for suitcases, luggage, garment bags, and the like

Claim 1

A wheeled carrier for articles such as suitcases, garment bags, luggage, and other articles comprising: a frame of substantially rectangular shape having two longitudinal members and at least two side members; wheel supports swingably secured to said side members of said frame by an aperture formed on the end of said wheel support which allows the wheel support to pivot about the frame on which it is secured; wheels rotatably secured to said wheel supports; said wheel supports adapted to be swung so that said wheels may be selectively positioned in an inactive position, where said wheels are substantially planar with said frame and an active wheeling position, where said wheels are substantially perpendicular to and below said frame and parallel to each other wheel; said frame adapted to engage a generally downwardly facing side of said article; an elongated member removably attached to said other longitudinal member of said frame; said elongated member adapted to being used for pulling said frame when said wheels are in the active wheeling position; means for providing a stable base for said frame when said wheels are in their active wheeling position; coil spring means carried by one of said longitudinal members of said frame; linkages connecting said spring means and said wheel supports such that the action of said spring means is transmitted to said wheel supports to urge and hold said wheel supports in the active wheeling position; stops to prevent movement of said linkages along said one longitudinal member of said frame; means for securing said article and frame together for movement as a unit on said wheels; a U-shaped member swingably mounted to the frame which provides lateral support to articles carried by said frame especially when in the active wheeling position; and wherein each wheel when in the active wheeling position is located substantially below one of the ends of the longitudinal member of said frame; and means for providing a stable base when said wheels are in the active wheeling position including the wheels and a member swingably supported on the other of the longitudinal members of said frame such that said swingable member can be moved from its active to inactive positions independent of the position of said wheels said swingable member being substantially U-shaped and including a stop when the U-shaped leg member is located in its active position below said frame.